Insect medicines for colorectal cancer: A review of mechanisms, preclinical evidence, and future prospects.

Colorectal cancer is recognized as the third most prevalent malignant tumor globally. The recommended treatment modalities, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, are frequently associated with severe side effects and high recurrence rates. Cancer experts are actively engaged in a global pursuit of safer and more efficacious treatment strategies for colorectal cancer (CRC). Insect medicine, a unique subset of traditional Chinese medicine, is characterized by their broad spectrum of therapeutic effects, which include antibacterial, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, and sedative actions. Insects are enriched with proteins, peptides, and amino acids. These compounds exhibit pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor effects, inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, anti-inflammatory properties, and immunomodulation. Recent studies have revealed that certain traditional Chinese insect medicines, such as Bombyx Batryticatus, Tubiechong, and Aspongopus chinensis Dalls, demonstrate outstanding therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of CRC. The anti-CRC actions of these insect medicines are potentially mediated through mechanisms involving the Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways, as well as immunomodulatory effects. Consequently, these insect medicines are proposed as a potential strategy for CRC treatment.